Second chance law needs a second look
Attorneys say Indiana’s expungement law still has issues that the Legislature needs to fix.
Indiana General Assembly
Articles
Senator seeks stiffer punishment for decapitations
The chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee says Indiana needs stronger penalties for decapitation.
Legislative committee recommends making annexations more difficult
The legislative committee examining Indiana’s annexation laws underscored how complex and difficult the issue is when committee members looked at the laws Wednesday. The members took a third of the time allotted for the meeting to decide that a remonstrance should succeed if a simple majority of property owners oppose a municipality’s effort to incorporate their land.
Lawmakers in no rush to fix Marion County’s judicial selection process
Marion County’s unique power-sharing judicial-election system won’t be fixed anytime soon, even though a federal judge has ruled the four-decade-old system is unconstitutional.
Indiana panel not making ethics suggestions
A state legislative panel isn't making any recommendations on ethics rule changes that the General Assembly is expected to consider during its upcoming session.
Judiciary interim study committee to vote on magistrates
The Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary is expected to vote Thursday on endorsing magistrate judge requests from seven Indiana counties.
House GOP plans changes in school funding, ethics
House Republicans plan to spend the 2015 session seeking changes in how the state funds its schools and rewriting their own ethics rules.
Former workers file suit against state lawmaker
A lawmaker who was one of nine Republican state senators to vote against a right-to-work law two years ago is accused in a lawsuit of failing to pay his employees more than $220,000 in wages and other benefits.
Annexation called ‘legalized bullying’ during interim study committee meeting
Property owners told Indiana legislators Sept. 24 that despite the General Assembly’s continual tinkering with the state’s annexation statute, the process still favors municipalities by giving them all the power to take the land they want without considering the owners’ wishes.
Mentally ill inmates straining jail and DOC resources
An interim legislative committee is examining the need for treatment options but is unsure if funding will be available.
Judiciary study committee to consider new judges, consent to adoption
The Indiana General Assembly’s Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary meets Thursday for the first time this year and will look at the addition of judges in several counties.
County sheriffs tell dire stories of mentally ill held in local jails
From different communities in different parts of Indiana, two county sheriffs told lawmakers very similar stories about the mentally ill individuals who end up in their jails.
Study committee to look at mental health issues at first meeting
The Interim Study Committee on Corrections and Criminal Code's first meeting will focus much of its attention on the mental health of offenders.
DCS struggles to keep accurate caseload tally
Indiana has hired more case workers to keep track of its most vulnerable residents, but complaints about overwork continue to surface as the state battles turnover and questions the accuracy of data on caseloads.
Marion County small claims reform faces hurdles in Legislature
The Indiana Supreme Court’s recommendation to merge Marion County’s nine township small claims courts with Marion Superior Court may be too bold for the Indiana General Assembly, a key senator said.
Supreme Court recommends abolishing Marion County township courts
A report from the National Center for State Courts recommends the nine township small claims venues in Indianapolis transition into a unified section of Marion Superior Courts. The Indiana Supreme Court is asking lawmakers to abolish the current system and unify them with the Superior Courts’ Civil Division effective Jan. 1, 2016.
Indiana ethics cases find frustration in lack of disclosure
The three major ethics cases involving Indiana officials this year have one thread that ties them together: frustration from ethics watchdogs over a lack of disclosure and transparency.
State to scope Indy block for new building to house judiciary, legislative office space
Gov. Mike Pence’s administration is in the early stages of a land-use study for a hot piece of downtown Indianapolis property north of the Statehouse.
GOP state senator deploying to Afghanistan
A Republican state senator is heading overseas for military duty in Afghanistan and asking his wife to fill his seat while he is gone.
‘0INK’ vanity plate fight could go to Legislature
A fuss over a police officer's vanity plate has blown up into a constitutional debate that could lead to the Indiana General Assembly deciding whether to rewrite the law or stop selling personalized license plates altogether.